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Oakland County History and Information

Oakland County Facts

Oakland County was created on 12 Jan 1819 and was formed from Macomb County. The County was named for the numerous oak openings in the county. Bela Hubbard described an oak opening as "a majestic orchard of oaks and hickories varied by small prairies, grassy lawns and clear lakes." The County Seat is Pontiac . See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Oakland County are Lapeer County (northeast), Genesee County (northwest), Macomb County (east), Wayne County (southeast), Washtenaw County (southwest), Livingston County (west). Townships found in Oakland County include Addison, Bloomfield Charter, Brandon, Commerce Charter, Groveland, Highland Charter, Holly, Independence Charter, Lyon Charter, Milford Charter, Novi, Oakland Charter, Orion Charter, Oxford Charter, Rose, Royal Oak Charter, Southfield, Springfield, Waterford Charter, West Bloomfield, Whitelake Charter Townships. Cities, Towns and Communities include Auburn Hills, Berkley, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Clarkston, Clawson , Commerce Township, Davisburg, Drayton Plains, Farmington Hills, Farmington, Ferndale, Franklin, Hazel Park, Highland, Holly, Huntington Woods, Keego Harbor, Lake Angelus, Lake Orion, Lakeville, Lathrup Village, Leonard, Madison Heights, Milford, New Hudson, Novi, Oak Park, Oakland, Orchard Lake Village, Ortonville, Oxford, Pleasant Ridge, Pontiac, Rochester Hills, Rochester, Royal Oak, South Lyon, Southfield, Sylvan Lake, Troy, Union Lake, Walled Lake, Waterford, West Bloomfield, White Lake, Wixom, Wolverine Lake.

The Oakland County Official Government Website
Oakland County, Michigan History Books at Amazon.com
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

Records at the Oakland County Courthouse

See Also Michigan Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

All departments below at located at the Oakland County Courthouse, 1200 North Telegraph Road, Pontiac, MI 48341 , unless a different address is listed below. NOTE: The date listed for each category of record is the earliest record known to exist in that county. It does not indicate that there are numerous records for that year and certainly does not indicate that all such events that year were actually registered.

Oakland County Clerk has the following Records for: Births & Deaths: 1867 to present. (Deaths after 1959 will be checked by staff), Marriages: 1827 to 1959. (Marriages after 1959 will be checked by staff), Naturalization: 1827 to present. (Naturalization records after 1959 will be checked by staff) . The Office is located at the County Courthouse, see address above for contact information. Phone: 248-858-0572 .
The County Clerk is responsible for keeping records of births, deaths, assumed names, co-partnerships, issuing and filing marriage licenses, gun permits, notary bonds and processing passports.

Oakland County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1821 and is located at the County Courthouse, see address above for contact information. Phone: (248)858-0608 .
The Register is the County's official recording officer for all legal documents pertaining to the transfers and encumbrances of all real estate property within the County. The Register also provides permanent storage for approved original subdivision plats, condominiums, land surveys and section corners.

Oakland County Clerk of the Probate Court has Probate Records from 1822 and is located at the County Courthouse, see address above for contact information. Phone: (248)452-8090.
The Court Adjudicates and disposes of cases involving property of persons who have died or become incompetent, interprets wills and trusts, commits the mentally ill when necessary and appoints guardians and conservators for minors, incapacitated individuals and individuals with developmental disability.

Oakland County Clerk of the Circuit Court has Court Records from 1826 and is located at the County Courthouse, see address above for contact information. Phone: (248)858-0344 .
The Clerk provides a variety of functions for the court such as, but not limited to: filing and maintaing the official record for all cases that come before the court; providing staff to assist in the operation of the court; working with the Jury Commission and notifying all potential jurors to appear for jury duty; and, processing felony criminal cases bound over from the District Court.

Click Here to Search Michigan Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Below is a list of online resources for Oakland County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Oakland County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Michigan Land Records: Michigan Pre-1908 Homestead & Cash Entry Patent and Cadastral Survey Plat Index.
Michigan Eastern District Naturalizations: Index to Naturalization papers of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Detroit, 1837-1903 and U.S. Circuit Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Detroit, 1837-1903
Oakland County, Michigan Court Books at Amazon.com
Michigan Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.

Oakland County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Michigan

Click Here to Search Michigan Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.

The State of Michigan Vital Records Office is located at 201 Townsend Street, Capitol View Bldg, 3rd Floor, Lansing MI 48913 (across the street from the state capitol - south side). The office hours are 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Mon-Fri, except for State holidays. They are open thru the lunch hour. If applying in person, you must submit your request by 3:00 pm in order to obtain same-day service. It can take up to 1-3 months to get a vital record from Michigan.

Birth Certificates: The Vital Records Office maintains birth records that occur in Michigan since 1867 to the present. Birth records are restricted in Michigan and only a person or parent named on the record or a legal guardian of the person named on the record may request a copy. A legal representative is eligible to request a copy if he/she represents the person named on the record. Photo identification is required to request a Michigan birth record (unless the birth record is at least 100 years old).
- Cost: Initial search (fee includes a 3-year search, Each additional year is $12.00 per year) and one certified copy or certification of the record or No Record Statement is $26.00 and $12.00 for each additional copy. Make your check or money order payable to "STATE OF MICHIGAN". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep check amount for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail. Mail to: Vital Records Requests, PO Box 30721, Lansing MI 48909
- Processing Time: If the birth year is 1906 to the present, your request will be processed within 4 weeks. If the birth year is prior to 1906, the processing time will be 1-3 months. when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
Death Certificates: The Vital Records Office maintains death records that occur in Michigan since 1867 to the present.
- Cost: Initial search (fee includes a 3-year search, Each additional year is $12.00 per year) and one certified copy or certification of the record or No Record Statement is $26.00 and $12.00 for each additional copy. Make your check or money order payable to "STATE OF MICHIGAN". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep check amount for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail. Mail to: Vital Records Requests, PO Box 30721, Lansing MI 48909
- Processing Time: If the death year is 1916 to the present, your request will be processed within 4 weeks of receipt in the vital records office. If the death year is prior to 1916, the processing time will be 1-3 months when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
Marriage Certificates: The Vital Records Office maintains marriage records that occur in Michigan since 1867 to the present.
- Cost: Initial search (fee includes a 3-year search, Each additional year is $12.00 per year) and one certified copy or certification of the record or No Record Statement is $26.00 and $12.00 for each additional copy. Make your check or money order payable to "STATE OF MICHIGAN". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep check amount for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail. Mail to: Vital Records Requests, PO Box 30721, Lansing MI 48909
- Processing Time: If the marriage year is 1926 to the present, your request will
  be processed within 4 weeks of receipt in the vital records office. If the marriage year is
  prior to 1926, the processing time will be 1-3 months when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
Divorce Certificates: The Vital Records Office maintains divorce records that occur in Michigan since 1867 to the present.
- Cost: Initial search (fee includes a 3-year search, Each additional year is $12.00 per year) and one certified copy or certification of the record or No Record Statement is $26.00 and $12.00 for each additional copy. Make your check or money order payable to "STATE OF MICHIGAN". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep check amount for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail. Mail to: Vital Records Requests, PO Box 30721, Lansing MI 48909
- Processing Time: If the divorce year is 1925 to the present, your request will be
  processed within 4 weeks of receipt in the vital records office. If the divorce year is prior
  to 1925, the processing time will be 1-3 months when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY

Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below

Birth Certificates

Death Certificates

Marriage Certificates

Divorce Records

Apply In Person: If you wish to apply in person to order a Michigan vital record, you may do so at the office located at 201 Townsend St, Capitol View Building, 3rd Floor, Lansing MI 48913 (across from the State Capitol). Lobby hours are 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. Directions are available by logging onto our website at: www.michigan.gov/mdch or by calling 517-335-8666. A check or money order is preferred, and orders in our lobby must be placed by 3:00 pm in order to request same-day service. An additional fee of $10.00 is required for same-day service orders. Please allow a 2-3 hour waiting period for same-day service.

Below is a list of online resources for Oakland County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Oakland County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Michigan newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
Michigan Marriages to 1850: This database of Michigan marriages to 1850 contains 13,000 names.
Michigan Marriages, 1851-75: This database contains records of marriages within the state for the years 1851 through 1875.
Michigan Deaths, 1971-1996: With over 2.75 million records, the Michigan Death Index covers the years from 1971 to 1996, making this database of particular interest to those with relatives from Michigan.
Oakland County, Michigan Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com

Oakland County Census Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Property tax records at the county level usually date back to the first land records. Either the county treasurer or the register of deeds will be the custodian of these records.

Numerous early tax assessment and general tax rolls are available at the State Archives of Michigan. Organized by county, the records include the name of the owner or occupant of the property, legal description and number of acres, value of land and personal estate, and amount of tax levied. There are tax rolls for some counties for the late 1830s, but most are for the last half of the nineteenth century.
National Archives/Great Lakes Region in Chicago holds numerous federal personal property and corporate tax assessment lists for the state of Michigan

Below is a list of online resources for Oakland County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Oakland County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Oakland County, Michigan Tax Books at Amazon.com

Oakland County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Michigan Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Oakland County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Oakland County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

Farmington Genealogical Society, Farmington Community Library, 23500 Liberty Street, Farmington, MI. 48335
Farmington Historical Society, Farmington Community Library, 23500 Liberty Street, Farmington, MI. 48335
Highland Township Historical Society, P.O. Box 351, Highland, MI 48357
Holly Historical Society, 306 S. Saginaw St., Holly MI 48442; Contact: Greta Mackler - 248-634-6246 evenings
Huron Valley Genealogical Society, 1100 Atlantic Street, Milford, MI 48381
North Oakland Genealogical Society, Orion Township Public Library, 825 Joslyn Rd., Lake Orion, MI 48362; (248) 693-3000
Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society, 405 Cesar E. Chavez, Pontiac, MI 48342; (248) 338-6732; Hours - Tu-Th 11am-4pm
Pontiac Area Historical and Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 430901, Pontiac, MI 48343-0901
Local Michigan Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
National Archives - Great Lakes Region (Chicago), 7358 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, Illinois 60629-5898; 773-948-9001; E-mail: (Maintains retired records from Federal agencies and courts in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.)
General Information Leaflet
State Archives of Michigan, 702 W Kalamazoo Str, P.O. Box 30738, Lansing, MI 48909-8238; (517) 373-1408
Original material generated by government offices at the state and/or local level, including census records, tax assessment rolls, military records and photographs are among the extensive holdings. They also have some naturalization files, correctional facility records, school records, and depression era agency files. The archives distribute information circulars on many topics. The circulars act as finding aids to their extensive collection.
The Historical Society of Michigan, 1305 Abbott Rd., East Lansing, MI 48823; (517) 324-1828,
Fax: (517) 324-4370, e-mail:
Library of Michigan, : 702 W. Kalamazoo St, Lansing, MI 48909
Holdings here include an extensive genealogical and historical collection including books, microforms, manuscripts, newspapers, surname index, Centennial and Sesquicentennial Certificate applications, and diaries. Records are housed in a new building with card catalog. See: http://michigan.gov/hal/libraryofmichigan for more information/services. Limited reference service to mail request. They also offer online reference services at:
Michigan Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Michigan Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Oakland County Church & Cemeteries

Click Here to Search Michigan Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Oakland County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Oakland County Tombstone Transcription Project.

The earliest religious denomination in Michigan was the Roman Catholic church, established through a mission in 1668 at Sault Ste. Marie. Ste. Anne's, in Detroit, has parish records beginning in 1703.

Michigan Historical Collections in Ann Arbor holds large collections from the Presbyterian Church and the Protestant Episcopal Church, in addition to other denominations. Dutch Reformed church records are at Calvin College and Seminary Library in Grand Rapids; Finnish church records are deposited at the Finnish-American Historical Archives at Suomi College in Hancock. The Upjohn Library at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo has a large collection of Baptist archive material. Many early Detroit churches have their records deposited at the Burton Historical Collection-Detroit Public Library. The Michigan Historical Records Survey, WPA, completed an Inventory of the Church Archives of Michigan, and many of the church records from this inventory were published from 1936 through 1942.

The Library of Michigan in Lansing and the Burton Historical Collection have over 1,000 books of transcribed or published tombstone readings from Michigan cemeteries. To locate a cemetery in the state, consult the Michigan Cemetery Compendium. It lists most cemeteries in Michigan.

Below is a list of online resources for Oakland County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Oakland County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Michigan obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Michigan newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Michigan.
Revolutionary Soldiers Buried in Michigan
Oakland County, Michigan Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
Oakland County, Michigan Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search Michigan Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Oakland County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Oakland County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
Sites on USGenweb: [ Oakland County ] [ Michigan ] [ Main Page ]
Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
The Michigan Family Group Sheet Project
Oakland County MIGenWeb Archives
[GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Michigan Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
Oakland County, Michigan Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

he County of Oakland has one of the most interesting histories in the state of Michigan...

Prior to the first permanent settlers, Native Americans (of many different tribes, Ojibwa, Chippewa, Ottawa, Potawatomi) roamed along the Saginaw Trail and camped at Saginaw Plains, Apple Island and various other beautiful spots. Much of the original settlement of the county was around three major native American trails; Saginaw Trail - much is now Woodward Avenue, Shiawassee Trail - followed the current Orchard Lake Road and Grand River Trail. The United States acquired the area now known as Oakland County, from France, in 1803, as part of a 800,000 square mile agreement, and the area was given the name "Old Northwest". The Territory of Michigan was formed by Congress on June 30th 1805, with statehood on January 26, 1837.

Despite Oakland County's official description in 1816 as having "extreme sterility and barrenness", on November 5, 1818, the Pontiac Company was organized by a group of Detroit and Macomb County men for the purpose of purchasing land and laying a town. In the fall of that same year, an exploring party of prominent professional and business men from Detroit came up the Saginaw Trail on horseback and camped the first night in what is now Royal Oak. These men named most of the lakes in what are now Bloomfield and West Bloomfield Townships. Their published report of the exploration did much to correct the false information of the 1816 description.

Oakland County was officially organized on January 12, 1819. Governor Cass issued a proclamation that laid out the boundaries of the county. The Pontiac Company offered to contribute both property and money if the county seat was established in Pontiac. The county was divided into two townships on June 28, 1820 (by another proclamation). The northern section was proclaimed Oakland Township, the southern section was named Bloomfield Township. Subsequently, on April 27, 1827, the legislative council of the Territory of Michigan divided Oakland County into five townships: Farmington, Bloomfield, Troy, Oakland, and Pontiac. In 1820 Governor Cass set the county seat in Pontiac--a central location no more than a day's journey from any point in the county.

The first official census of the county was taken in 1820, and the final count was 330 persons. Within 10 years the population grew to 4,911. By 1840 it was 23,646, and by 1870 it had reached 40,867, being surpassed only by Wayne, Kent, Lenawee and Washtenaw Counties, in that order. The 1990 U.S. Census reports 1,083,592 persons living in Oakland County, with the current estimated from 2000 census data at 1,162,098, which is the highest population for counties in the state.